Series Three, Episode One: The War Goes On
by Little Miss Illusional
Summary: Set directly after Phantom Rising, the gang continue their struggle against Cronus. New allies and age-old challenges arise, but the gang must be careful. Friends and enemies are hard to distinguish between, and the future is no longer foretold.
1. Prologue

A/N: Welcome to (my) series three of Class of the Titans. Want more information? Check out my profile page for a full list of episode titles. Also check out the poll to have your say in what happens over the course of the series. Enjoy!

* * *

Prologue

New Olympia was seldom quiet. A city of constant activity, one time flowed directly onto another, and there was little distinction between day and night – in terms of noise, at least. The early evening was punctuated with blaring music and traffic noises, drowning the cityscape in a blur of noise.

Strangely, the evening was quiet. Too quiet, almost melodramatically. There was a change in the air.

Sipping a cheap coffee from a Styrofoam cup and flicking through the day's newspaper, the Oracle looked up from the headlines as a shadow fell over his small street-side stall. Though his mortal form was physically blind, his inner senses alerted him to the identity of the figure before him. He smiled.

"It has been a long while, god of time."

Stepping closer, the figure laughed. "I've been busy, Oracle. Surely you know that?" He gripped the sides of the stall, the steel threatening to buckle under his strength.

"You know why I'm here," Cronus hissed. "Is it over? Is the prophecy complete?"

The Oracle sighed and removed his glasses, revealing his iris-less blue eyes. In his palms, he conjured a circle of glowing energy. He studied the orb for a few moments, ignoring the penetrating stare of the god of time.

"I see a time of uncertainty," the Oracle announced slowly. "Perhaps if I were to look closer, I could give you a definite outcome."

Cronus shook his head. "That won't be necessary." From the interior of his suit, he withdrew his golden scythe. "Can't you see why I'm here, Oracle?"

"You've come to kill me?" The Oracle almost sounded surprised. "To prevent any more prophecies, I assume?" He shook his head darkly, disgust dripping from his voice. "I thought you to be a better man, Cronus."

The god shrugged. "I'm not a man." Then, locking eyes with the Oracle, he raised his scythe upward, summoning all his power into the gold weapon. And then, with a cry, he brought it down again, aiming for the Oracle's disbelieving eyes.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews; it really means a lot! Here's Chapter One for all you patient people.

* * *

Chapter One

There was an uncomfortable silence as Herry drove back to the school. The teens and Zeus sat in the truck, staring off in different directions. Not a word was spoken between them as New Olympia drew closer. Battle fatigue and shock seemed to be the two major contributing factors. Already, most of them were asleep.

Herry yawned as he turned off the highway, and onto the main road into the city limits. Zeus yawned too – a chain reaction – and smiled at him.

"Not falling asleep, are we?" the god chuckled, stretching out. He winced and touched his abdomen. It seemed that he still hadn't fully recovered from the events of the day, even after getting his immortality back. _I'll be fine_, he'd assured them. _All I need is a little ambrosia._

Shrugging, Herry kept his eyes on the road. "Nah. Not like them lot." He gestured to the rest of the gang, coincidentally as Neil began snoring. They laughed. Neil had been the first to fall asleep, his head resting on Atlanta's shoulder. The huntress was, like Archie, staring into the rolling hills of the city outskirts, lost in thought, and would probably be asleep by the time they got back. Herry too felt himself nodding off, and wondered if he should ask Theresa to drive. Staring at the psychic through the revision mirror, he decided against it. She and Jay were both asleep in the far back seats of the truck, their hands still entwined and their heads resting on each other. He couldn't help but smile – it had been a long time coming.

Herry couldn't help but wonder what would become of the team now. Zeus had assured them that Hera would forgive Theresa, but they all knew that the goddess' temper could be unforgiving. Before leaving the beach, Theresa discovered that her powers had waned drastically; she was almost completely powerless after her aura had taken over. Were her powers gone for good?

_The Oracle might have answers_, he thought, and made a mental note to tell Jay once the leader was awake.

After another while of driving, the sun was slowly dipping towards the horizon, and the gang and Zeus arrived at the school. Herry drove into the empty parking lot, and parked the truck. Taking one last look at the sleeping group, Herry grinned at Zeus, and punched the car horn.

Six teenagers jolted awake to the sound of a car horn, and Herry and Zeus in the front seats, bent over backwards in laughter.

"Very funny," Neil grumbled, pulling out his mirror. "You could have just waited for us to wake up." He pursed his lips and deftly swept his hair from out of his eyes. He knew he'd have to get it cut soon; he just didn't trust any hairdressers with handling the perfection of his hair. Perhaps he could ask Aphrodite…

"Where's the fun in that?" Herry retorted, jumping out of the truck. The others followed suit, and they assembled in front of the school, along with Zeus.

"You guys ready to face the wrath of Hera?" Archie muttered, scowling. He hadn't spoken to Theresa since the beach; he wasn't quite ready for that. Sure, she was his teammate and he'd stick by her, but by Zeus he didn't have to agree with her choices. Forgiveness, in his books, was something that was only given through time.

Zeus shook his head. "I do not think she will be angry," he explained. "Maybe confused, or hurt, but not angry. She cares deeply for you young ones."

In the end, it was not Hera that they had to worry about. As they trooped through the school, into the janitor's closet and into the hidden wing, the walls were booming around them. Theresa paled, but they walked on towards the sound of anger; Hera's study.

Ares was furious. His short fuse and inflated ego seemed to have taken a beating whilst being a mortal, and he seemed determined to enact his revenge on the perpetrator. Hera had managed to calm him before allowing the teens to enter, and they watched him nervously as he sat fuming in the corner. For a while, nobody spoke. Hera surveyed them from over her desk, her grey eyes staring at each of them in turn. Finally, she spoke.

"The events that occurred today are regrettable." Ares moved to interject, but she held a hand to silence him. "Regrettable… but unavoidable." Standing, she walked to the teens assembled on her couch, and knelt in front of Theresa. "You were absolutely right to feel used by the gods. We continually ask so much of you… of all of you. And we have been pushing you too far. Perhaps we need to stop treating you like weapons, and more like teenagers."

Theresa's eyes widened. "So, you're not mad?"

Hera ignored Ares' muttering, and smiled encouragingly at the young psychic. "No, my dear. Not at all."

With that, Ares stormed out of the room, slamming the double doors behind him with a rattling _boom._

"_Drama queen_." Neil muttered. Odie make a choking sound that must have been weak laughter.

"So what happens now?" Jay asked, voicing the question on everybody's mind. "Is the prophecy over?" His voice betrayed the nervousness that had been eating at him since the beach. He couldn't believe it, not for a second; he couldn't entertain the possibility that their mission was over. And yet, it could be. He wasn't sure how to think about that.

Hera sighed. "Only one person can answer that question, I'm afraid."

"The Oracle?" Herry wondered aloud, his suspicions confirmed by a small nod from Hera.

Jay stood, glancing around at his team mates. _This could be it_, he thought, and then dismissed the thought almost immediately. He needed to focus on the here and now, not the possibilities of the future. "Then I guess we'd better find some answers." He turned to Hera, a smile on his face. "Maybe this all hasn't been for nothing."

"I certainly hope so." The goddess returned his smile. "And whatever the Oracle tells you, I know that-"

Hera was interrupted as the doors flew open, Hermes frantically flying inside, a panic-stricken expression on his face.

"Hera!" He cried. "There's been an incident downtown!"

Jay whipped around to face the messenger god. "What sort of incident?"

Hermes dropped to his feet, sending Hera a dark look, before launching into his explanation.

"There's been an explosion in the city," he stated, unnerved. "Cronus was seen leaving the scene." He paused, gulping. "And…"

"And?" Jay pressed.

"And it seems the Oracle has been killed."

* * *

Cronus was tired.

Mortality had not suited him well; even with his godliness renewed, he felt... weak. A sort of weakness that he hadn't felt since being imprisoned in the godforsaken pit of Tartarus. Sighing, he rubbed his temples, hoping that the weariness would pass once he'd had a sleep. And a plate of ambrosia wouldn't go unwanted, either.

Beside him, Agnon plodded along dumbly through the dark forest. Vaguely, Cronus wondered if he should transform the brute into a sort of rideable monster, just to rest his legs. He decided against it though; the giant was the last of his remaining subjects, and rendering him into a defenseless state wouldn't serve him any long-term purpose. He needed to conserve his strength.

"Not long now." Cronus muttered. The forest was beginning to lighten; trees were thinning, and he could see the roots of the mountains looming through the vast canopy of leaves. Somewhere in the tangle of rock would be their new home, he hoped. There, he could recover his strength for the final stage of his master plan. Now that the prophecy was out of the picture, all he had left to do was kill the mortals, once and for all.

He often thought of how he would destroy them, one by one. Logically, he knew that they'd probably die in quick succession. Probably in battle; a noble death. He hoped to avoid that. He wanted them to suffer; suffer as he had in many millennia in Tartarus. They would pay, and they would beg for death in the and count him lucky; he, who rotted in Tartarus for thousands of years! And they dared to call him mad.

The mortals knew nothing of madness. Not yet, anyway.

They arrived in the clearing at the foothill of the mountains. Now began the long climb in search of a worthy home. Cronus glanced curtly at Agnon, and with a weary nod, gestured for the giant find a way up the craggy rocks and ravines. Agnon started towards the mountain, but then stopped, cocking his sensitive ears back to the path they had taken.

Discretely, he pointed to the path.

"Are we being followed?" Cronus asked slowly, quietly. Already, he was preparing to conjure his scythe. Better safe than sorry.

The giant nodded.

"The children?"

Agnon shook his head. "But mortal." He grunted, clenching his formidable fists.

Nodding slightly, Cronus readied himself. He too could now hear the low, muffled footsteps that were just out of a mortal's auditory perception. His immortal senses could also detect the strong breaths and sweat from their pursuer as he (there was no doubt it was a _he_; the scent was unmistakable) drew closer. When he deemed the footfalls to be close enough, he simply raised his scythe in the direction of the sound and released a blast of fire from the weapon's golden end.

There was a yell, and a figure rolled into view in his desperation to avoid incineration. Cronus grinned, striding up to their pursuer who still remained on the ground, clearly winded from his tumble.

"I don't like being followed." He said, holding his scythe to the mortal's throat. Studying him now, he saw that this wasn't a man; this was a boy, a teenager.

The teen shrugged. "I'm sure you don't. But you don't have a choice."

Cronus could have laughed; he did, in fact. "Dear boy," he chuckled. "I am the god of time. I do not tolerate mortal intervention with my affairs."

Maybe it was arrogance, or perhaps extreme courage, but the mortal shook his head. "I don't think so. I think that you are weak, and you need help. You _need_ me."

Laughter faded quickly, and Cronus stared the boy down. Who was he to talk to a god in such a manner? He had half a mind to cleave the mortal in two and be done with it. But something made him stop. Perhaps the boy could be useful. He didn't exactly have a repertoire of underlings in that moment.

"And what makes you special?" Cronus asked, a little more cruelly than intended.

The mortal eyed him gently. "See for yourself," he said, extended his palm to the god.

Cronus touched his fingers to the boy's hand. He could feel the beating of the mortal's heart; the ebb of his mortality, the shudder of life so easily extinguished. But there was strength, and power, hidden beneath the skin. Ancient blood stirred there. Familiar blood.

He lowered his scythe. The mortal stood, staring at him.

"Perhaps I do need your help, after all."


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: A bit of a wait, I know, but worth it? I hope so. Anyway, thank you for the reviews. Oh lordy, the reviews! I can't believe how many this is getting!

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Chapter Two

It was like a scene from a war film.

A huge crater stretched from footpath to footpath, leaving the road strewn with red-hot rock and asphalt. The glass of the shopfronts had been shattered for about fifty meters in either direction. So far, only one fatality had been confirmed – an old man, according to the news reports that Odie was following on his laptop.

When the gang arrived, police had already set up a cordon around the scene. Journalists and emergency services blocked most of the view of the destroyed section of the street, but the carnage was all too visible. Jay grimaced, and beckoned his team to him. They assembled around him, a range of expressions filtering onto their faces.

"Here's the plan," he explained. "Herry, Neil and Atlanta are going to go to the morgue-"

"The MORGUE?!" Neil shrieked. "But there's _dead_ people there. Can't I stay here?"

Jay shook his head. "You'll have to sneak in, and a little luck wouldn't hurt." Neil pouted, but shut his mouth as Jay continued.

"As I was staying, you're sneaking in to the morgue and find out if the victim was the Oracle. Archie, Odie, Theresa and I are going to stay here. Theresa, I want you to use your powers to get us as close as possible to the explosion site. Odie, once we're close, can you analyse the particles or whatever and find out if Cronus was behind this?"

Odie nodded. "If you could get me some of that asphalt from the crater, that'd be great."

"I can do that." Archie said, reaching for his whip. "But I'll need to get past the police."

"How about I take care of both issues?" Theresa interjected, smiling.

Jay nodded. Glancing around his team, staring at them each individually for a few moments, his brows furrowed. "We have to consider the worst possible scenario. If the Oracle is dead, and Cronus is responsible, he'll be after us next. It's been a big day, and we're all tired, so keep an eye on each other."

They agreed in a low, muted chorus of tired expressions, and split into their groups. Herry, Neil and Atlanta climbed back into the truck, the latter two already arguing over who would have the front seat. Jay rolled his eyes, but waved them off anyway, and brought his attention back to the rest of his team, wearily standing beside him.

"Right," he said. "Let's get to work."

To his surprise, Theresa beamed brightly. "Already on it, Jay." She pointed to the edge of the crowd that had gathered at the edge of the cordon. Several police officers stood guard at the perimeter, but one – a younger, fresh faced officer – was positioned at the edge, nearest to the buildings on the left side of the street. He stood apart from the rest; an easy target for Theresa's telepathy.

"Watch and learn, guys." The psychic announced smugly, and wandered over to the young police officer. The boys watched on intently (possessively, in Jay's case) as she strode up to the man, engaging him in a conversation that they couldn't hear over the whine of police sirens and the crowd of journalists. With Theresa's back to them, they could only see the police man's face, who had suddenly become very interested in what the girl was saying to him.

Archie chuckled as a glazed expression came over the man. "Your girlfriend is dangerous, man," he said to Jay, shaking his head mockingly. Despite being a little bit pissed off at the fighter, he had to admire her uncanny mind tricks. Especially when they weren't being used on him.

Theresa waved them over a few seconds later. "Martin is going to get us a rock sample," she explained to them, watching the dazed police officer warily. "Aren't you, Martin?"

The officer nodded dumbly, and shuffled towards the edge of the crater. Bending down, he scooped up a handful of asphalt and scurried back to the four teenagers.

"How come no one's looking at him?" Jay asked, gesturing to the crowd beside them, who were all staring intently at the crater and the emergency services officers that milled around the edge of the gaping hole in the road. None of them had paid any attention to the young police man as he collected the sample.

"I'm shielding him," Theresa muttered, keeping her eyes firmly on the man. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. "And it's a lot harder than I thought it'd be."

"Like, a perception filter?" Odie asked eagerly, his dark eyes lighting up. "Wicked!"

"Kind of." Theresa exhaled her breath that she wasn't aware she'd been holding the second Martin arrived back at the cordon's edge. "Thank you, Martin."

The officer nodded and held out his hand full of asphalt to Odie, who deposited the material into a plastic bag he'd pulled out from within his satchel.

"Want me to mind-wipe him, Jay?" Theresa grimaced, already extending a slender hand to Martin. On Jay's nod, she placed her palm on the policeman's forehead, muttering to herself as she closed her eyes to concentrate. They watched on, a little in awe of the psychic's skills, as her muttering gave way to a steady chant of archaic Greek.

Suddenly, the girl's eyes snapped open, and she staggered back. Jay caught her before she toppled over. "Theresa?" He asked worriedly, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes as he placed her back on her feet. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm… I'm fine," she murmured, rubbing her temple. "I don't understand… something went wrong… my powers…"

The policeman seemed to be coming back to his senses. He shook his head a few times, as if he was trying to dislodge something that had crawled into it, and then spun around to face the four teenagers.

"I… what…" he spluttered, glancing between them. "When did you kids get there?"

"We were just leaving, Officer." Jay replies smoothly; two years of training enabled him to have no hesitations about lying to the police. He knew that down the track he'd need to have a serious think about his moral principles, but for now he needed to concentrate on his team. Glancing meaningfully at the other three, he guided them away from the cordon edge swiftly.

"What the hell was that about, Theresa?" Archie muttered as they paced away quickly.

The psychic shook her head sadly. "I'm not sure. My powers… they just stopped working. They faded out, just when I was taking away his memories of us."

"Don't worry about it for now," Jay said, although he knew that she would worry – hell, he was worried too. Sighing, he pulled his PMR from his pocket and gestured for his team members to hold up. "I'll let the others know we've got a sample. Let's get back to the dorm."

* * *

The morgue worker blinked rapidly as he studied the student ID card in front of him. "Look here, um… Neil," he began, ignoring the brilliant beaming of the teenager standing in front of his desk. "I don't think I can just take you down to the storage area, even if have a…"

"-School project."

"Whatever. You need to have clearance, and forms…"

The blonde boy didn't miss a beat. "How about you show me where these forms are, and I'll get some clearance?"

"Well, uh…"

"There's a coffee in it for you."

Sighing, the man glanced up at the clock. He was only three hours into an eight hour shift that was trickling on far too slow. Coffee sounded like a blissful release. It wasn't exact protocol, but the blonde kid seemed okay, and it wasn't like his manager was going to be checking up on him any time soon. "You're shouting the coffee, right? Well, the papers are upstairs. Follow me."

Once the morgue worker and Neil were out of sight, Atlanta and Herry slipped through the doorway, striding quickly for the adjacent door that they knew had to lead to the cold storage. Glancing at the burly boy, Atlanta grimaced, and opened the door. Expecting to be overwhelmed by the stench of decay, she was pleasantly surprised to find the grey room smelled instead of… lemon?

"They sure keep this place clean," Herry remarked, picking up on the smell too.

"Probably 'cause its hygienic." Atlanta realised, smiling to herself. "The… uh… body… where do you think it'll be?" She scanned the walls quickly, taking in the small metal hatches on the one furthest from the door. "There." She said, answering her own question.

Together, they proceeded towards the wall. Once they were closer, they were able to read the identification cards on each of the hatches. They found their desired one immediately – the simple handwritten card said '_John Doe, suspected street bomb victim._'

They stood awkwardly in front of the hatch for a moment, well aware that they couldn't afford to waste any time, but too apprehensive of what lay within. They'd seen a number of bodies in the war, but none quite as gruesome as their imaginative minds suggested this one would be. Atlanta wasn't squeamish… but this was a body that had been blown up. She didn't want to go anywhere near it.

"Do you want to…?" She asked Herry, desperately hoping that he had better control of his guts than what she had at that moment. When he shook his head, her stomach plummeted.

Her fingers closed around the latch and she pulled it open, drawing the sliding stretcher out just enough for the shape of a head, covered by a thin white sheet streaked with blood, to be drawn out. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the sheet back from the head.

"I think I'm gonna…" Herry muttered, and retched into a waste paper bin.

The face was mangled and bloody, with chunks of skin burnt away to the bone. Haunting, dry eyes stared back at the huntress; the man's empty irises and torn flesh burned an image into Atlanta's mind that she knew she wouldn't forget for a long time coming. But then, looking more closely, she realised that something was wrong with the body before her.

"It's not him, Herry," she whispered. "It's not the Oracle."

* * *

They were just two blocks away from the dorm when Theresa's vision began.

The familiar shock of being pulled into the other reality that existed within her consciousness startled her; unblinking, she stared as the world blurred and took shape before her. The streets of New Olympia were replaced with a sort of emptiness – neither black nor white, dark or light. In this place of her vision she spun around, wondering where she had been pulled to.

_Theresa. _

She gasped and suddenly, he was before her.

_Oracle_, she spoke, although the words did not come from her mouth, but rather her thoughts._ You're alive?_

_Yes._ His voice was as emotionless as his face; as blank as his glowing blue eyes.

_But… Cronus…_

_I defended myself adequately. I will explain, in good time._ He extended his hand to her, cupping the side of her face with his palm. Though her physical state was far from this devoid place of the vision, she could feel the coolness and wrinkles of his skin.

_This is where you will find me._ He said, staring acutely.

In the vision, she saw a building; one within the city. She saw an elevator, and a rooftop not so different to the dorm. She saw the Oracle there, leaning out across the railings, staring into the city. Skyscrapers pierced the sky, bleeding starlight that lit up the dark blue flecks of the Oracle's glowing eyes. And, as she watched, the stars ebbed and twisted, taking a form. Already, she could sense an evilness from the figure.

_You must hurry_. The Oracle warned.

Gasping, Theresa was flung from the vision. She was dimly aware of strong hands holding her upright, and of the grey concrete beneath her. Blinking, she took a few deep breaths, and straightened up. Three pairs of eyes stared at her expectantly.

"What did you see?" Jay pressed her, an unreadable expression on his face.

"The Oracle." She said slowly. "And he's in danger."

The corners of Jay's lips slowly turned upward. "Then I guess we'd better help him."


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm going to gush, because the response to this story is still PHENOMENAL! I can't believe how many people are reading and loving this; it really makes me so, so stoked to hear all the wonderful stuff on Tumblr, and all the lovely reviews! You guys... I can't. I simply can't. Thank you.

Don't forget to vote in my poll to have your say in what happens in this series. If I could also get a show of hands (or reviews!) for those who are up for some non-canon pairings over the course of this series. Let me know what you think!

* * *

Chapter Three

It was just before midnight when Atlanta, Neil and Herry finally arrived at the dorm. Jay and the others had arrived an hour before them. Odie had disappeared into his bedroom with the sample from the crater almost immediately. Jay and Theresa sat at the dining table; the psychic sleeping on his shoulder as he waited patiently for Odie to return. Archie had taken the opportunity to have the living room to himself for a change, and was spread out across the big sofa.

He smirked at the three from the living room as the three strode in, noticing that Herry's face was still flushed and a faint shade of green. "How was the morgue?" he asked, mockingly cheerful. "Time of your lives or what?"

"Stop being a prick, Arch." Atlanta muttered, too peeved to join him in childish banter. Normally she'd be all for goading Archie right back, but not after spending time in the morgue, of all places.

"What? I bet you guys had loads of fun. Just the three of you, and all those cold, dead bodies slowly rotting away in the-"

Herry pushed past Archie and rushed for the kitchen sink. The sound of retching echoed through the room. Neil turned up his nose and marched off to his room. Atlanta took a moment to glower at Archie before pacing into the kitchen to pat Herry's shoulder as he hung his head shamefully in the sink.

From the dining table, Jay shook his head in frustration. He knew that Archie was only acting like a prick because he was tired – hell, they were all tired. A soft head resting on his shoulder was proof enough. The second she'd sat down, Theresa had nodded off, curled against his body as much as she could whilst sitting in a different chair. Watching the dozing girl, his heart swelled, just a little. It still amazed him that the beach incident had only been that morning.

Atlanta and Herry emerged from the kitchen slowly; the brawn was using Atlanta as a sort of crutch, and she propped him into the seat to the left of Theresa. He mumbled a thank you before resting his head on the table, already snoring before his forehead connected with the wooden surface. She sat opposite, eyeing Herry gently, a maternal spark in her eye. Jay noted it, bemused.

"So," he begun. "The body wasn't the Oracle?"

Atlanta nodded. She'd called Jay on her PMR on the way back and explained most of the details already. "Yeah. Must of just been somebody passing on the street when the explosion went off." She paused thoughtfully. "What caused the explosion, anyway? Was it Cronus?"

"Yes!"

Atlanta and Jay looked up quickly. Odie strode into the kitchen, practically bouncing with energy. He held a beaker of asphalt in his hands, and placed it on the table in between them. Grinning from ear to ear, he pointed at the crushed gravel, seemingly expecting them to know exactly what it was. When they didn't react, he launched into an explanation.

"I analysed the sample. There's a residue in it that can't be from any man-made – or natural –substance. When I looked closer, and compared it to samples that Dionysus let me a while back, I got a hit! It's a match for what I like to call an_ Olympian particle_."

"And what's that?" Jay asked, a little wary of the wild eagerness in Odie's eyes.

Odie smirked proudly. "The power of the gods leaves traces. The stuff is all over Greece, if you know what you're looking for. And I also compared it to a sample of sand from the beach I got from the inside of my shoes. Theresa also left traces of it too –"

At the mention of her name, Theresa stirred. "Wh-what?" she asked groggily.

"When you entered God Mode this morning, you left some weird particle that Odie has a fetish for." Atlanta explained dryly.

"I don't have a… _fetish_… for it, Atlanta!" Odie exclaimed, blushing.

Theresa mumbled incoherently and drifted back to sleep. Jay put an arm around her protectively, and kissed the top of her head. His heart did the swelling thing again, and though he felt incredibly tired, and Cronus was probably more powerful than ever, he felt a happiness that he sensed in every inch of his body.

"_As I was saying_." Odie said, a little bit annoyed. "Theresa had the power of the gods, so she left the Olympian particle too. But hers was different to the samples Dionysus gave me, because it had a bit of mortal DNA in it too." Meeting blank faces where he had expected understanding, he continued exasperatedly. "The sample from the crater _also_ had mortal DNA."

"… and?" Jay asked.

"And, that means the Olympian particle must have come from a non-immortal source. So the Oracle –"

"Must still be alive!" Jay exclaimed.

"And using his powers." Odie interjected. "A lot of power, actually, if he made that crater."

Jay nodded. "Theresa said that in her vision, the Oracle said Cronus attacked him and he defended himself."

"That's what caused the crater, then!" Odie said, genuinely happy that they'd solved that little mystery. He sat beside Atlanta, who'd switched off during the technical jabber. Seeing that the conversation was now turning to action, a topic she preferred, she sat up, drawing on the last of her energy.

"But he needs our help?" she asked, looking at each of them keenly. "Why don't we just go to this building that Theresa saw, and whoop his immortal ass?"

Sighing, Jay shook his head. "We could, but not like this, Atlanta." Absentmindedly, he stroked a lock of Theresa's hair from her face. "We're all dead on our feet. Going after Cronus would just be asking for trouble."

Atlanta nodded, and accepted that as an invitation to go and get some well-earned rest. She waved a vague goodbye to the three and wandered back out to the living room, where Archie was now snoring contently on the couch. She watched him for a moment, and wondered if it was worth waking him to help him to his room. But then she remembered that Archie had been a prick and gave him a satisfying flick to the nose before striding off to her own room.

* * *

Jay woke them after a few hours. They all grumbled and swore and wanted more sleep, but they knew that they were lucky to have gotten any sleep at all. Groggily, they piled into Herry's truck – Neil, who was much more rested than anyone else due to his uncanny ability to fall asleep immediately – called shotgun in a weary attempt to both assert his importance and to ensure the brawn didn't fall asleep at the wheel.

The streets were still quiet as they drove. It was too early for commuters; the sun hadn't risen yet, and in the predawn light, the city seemed to be holding its breath. For what, Jay was not sure, but staring out of his window into the towering cityscape, he knew that whatever it was, it wouldn't be good. Even with Neil's luck, things rarely went their way.

Theresa was still tucked into his side like a gorgeous, redheaded shadow. He marvelled at how perfectly she fit there. More than ever, he wanted Cronus back in Tartarus, where the god belonged, so he and Theresa's relationship could have a fighting change. They belonged together, right? He sighed. He hadn't wanted to start anything with her, not while the threat of Cronus existed, but now that they were together, he couldn't ever let her go. Not when it felt so… right.

Olympus High was barely a five minute drive from the dorm, and yet the roads seemed to stretch out endlessly. When they finally arrived in the empty parking lot, they staggered out, a weird sense of déjà vu encasing them. It had only been hours since they'd last pulled up at the school in a similar state of weariness. When had tired eyes and battle fatigue become ordinary? Weren't they too young for normalities to be set in stone? Still, Jay had to have hope. Even as he thought this, Theresa slipped her cool hand into his and laced their fingers together, and looked up at him.

"Stop thinking that you're ordinary." Theresa murmured, absentmindedly stroking his thumb with hers.

"Stop reading my mind, then." He replied, but he wasn't mad.

"Never." She whispered, and raised their entwined palms to kiss the back of his hand. She smiled, almost inconceivably beautiful, and walked with him, their feet in perfect pace, as if the two of them were the most symbiotic duos to ever walk.

He smiled back, and realised that the last thing he felt was ordinary.

Behind them, Archie scowled; a facial expression that the others were beginning to think permanently resided on his face. The little sleep he'd had at the dorm had lessened his mood, but he wasn't up for idle chat or anything. He just wanted to be alone, or asleep. Screw Cronus. Screw the gods. Screw the team. Though he quickly took those thoughts back, he couldn't quite shake off the anger that rested on his sleep-deprived mind. It could – and did – only grow when Atlanta, somehow thriving off little sleep, skipped beside Herry.

The warrior's eyes narrowed, taking in the proximity of the two, and his scowl deepened. Flipping his hood over his head, and stuffing his hands into the deep pockets of his blue pullover, he made it clear that he didn't want to talk. The others, taking in his hands-in-pockets-hood-on stance, were compliant.

Reaching the janitor's closet, Jay opened the door with his pendant key, and the seven squished into the small cupboard.

"We _so_ need a better secret entrance." Neil whined, reaching for his mirror. "Do you reckon the gods watch _Pimp My Ride_?"

Odie and Herry chuckled. Jay gave the blonde a look, but didn't say anything. When the glowing blue wall appeared, they walked through in silence, passing through the impressive halls in an uncoordinated quiet. Ambling at their tired pace, they arrived at the training room, collapsing into the benches without as much as a nod to Ares.

The god had calmed since the previous evening, but that was all relative. The god of war wasn't the most serene of people to begin with. He was in a foul mood – fouler than Archie, an impressive achievement – and allowed them ten seconds of bliss before barking orders to them.

"Class! On your feet, mortals." He boomed, jolting them all into consciousness. "And I don't want to hear any complaints, or you'll be doing laps."

Biting down their protests, the seven stood and lined up in front of Ares. He studied them for several moments, nodding, muttering notes to himself under his breath. Seven heads swivelled to the door when Hephaestus limped in, hauling a large wooden chest that clanged in time with every step of his hobbled gate.

Heph, they liked. They mumbled a chorus of tired greetings to the god of the forge. He smirked back, reaching their drowsy line and plonked the chest beside Ares.

"You told 'em 'bout the new weapons?" he asked the taller god in his coarse drawl.

"Not yet." Ares replied gruffly.

Heph grinned. "Guess I saved 'ya the trouble." He kicked the lid of the chest off, and gestured for the team to approach. They gathered around the chest and two gods, staring into the chest with mixed expressions.

The crippled god reached into the chest and, pulling out a sword hilt, unceremoniously dumped it in Jay's arms. "For you," he said, grinning ear to ear. "Just like the one ya' got, but better. Look at tha' _bea_-uty."

Jay, feeling eight pairs of expectant eyes on him, took a few steps back, and extracted the xiphos. It was longer than his old one, easily the length of his arm, and was surprisingly light. Studying the bright silver of the blade, he found intricately carved Grecian symbols, and ancient lettering down the centre of the blade; a name.

"Jason," he whispered, reading the word. "As in, my ancestor?"

Heph nodded. "I… uh… may 'ave touched it up a bit. Wasn't real shiny 'til yesterday. And it didn' do tha' retracting."

As Jay continued to admire the sword, Heph rummaged through the chest and tossed a metal object to Neil, who caught it deftly, despite not even paying attention to the throw.

"A gun?" he said, wrinkling his nose. "Thanks, Heph, you've really outdone yourself." He drawled, staring at the gun in dismay. "Can't I get a cool sword like Jay?"

"That ain't just _a gun_." Heph explained, ignoring the blonde's whine. "That's an invention of mine. A stun gun with _oomph_."

Neil took the weapon gingerly, quite visibly miffed with how events were going. Wasn't he supposed to be the lucky one? All he got was a stupid gun. On Heph's instruction, he pointed the supposedly dismal weapon at a target set up fifty metres away. Barely bothering to aim (because, hey, he would get a bullseye anyway and they all knew it), he pulled down the trigger.

A faint hiss cut through the air as the gun recoiled with a surprising amount of force. Barely a second later, a purple flash hit the target, dead centre. A shock of electricity enveloped the target for a moment, and then ominously disappeared. Silence overtook the assembled group for a minute as they all tried to comprehend the small destruction held in the diminutive weapon in _Neil's_ hands.

Grinning, Neil lowered the gun. "Have I mentioned how much I love you, Heph?"

The god sighed. "I gotta feeling this ain't a good idea." But he moved on to Theresa anyway, placing a set of nun-chucks in the psychic's hands. She studied the weapon for a few moments, and then twirled them experimentally.

"They feel… different." She noted, spinning the nun-chucks behind her back casually. Stopping, she examined the handles, and found a small catch at the bases. She flicked one, and a small blade slid out, transforming the nun-chucks to a pair of long knives.

"Tha' chain can be detached," Heph clarified. "So they're also knives. Not bad, eh?"

He turned to Herry and Odie, who'd been standing quietly through the whole demonstration. "I got nothin' for ya' boys," the god said, chuckling. "Didn't know what you'd want. Is there somethin' you'd want me ta' make?"

Herry shook his head, smiling. "I'm alright." Odie similarly was content with his technological items. Neither had a particular perchance for weapons, preferring to rely on their brute strength or cunning.

The god of the forge looked around the seven teenagers, proud of his new creations.

"What about me?!" Archie finally exploded, crossing his arms huffily. "Don't I get a new weapon?"

"No." Ares boomed swiftly. "You already got an upgrade a while back."

"That's not fair, I-"

"-_Arch_." Jay interrupted, casting a meaningful look at his teammate. "We're on a tight schedule. Can you take this up with Heph another time?"

Archie nodded grudgingly, but sent a filthy look in Heph's direction. Atlanta promptly flicked his ear – painfully – and pointed at Jay, who was leading the seven out of the training room. Rubbing his shoulder, Archie followed a few paces behind the huntress, a little wary.

"Where we going, Jay?" Herry boomed as the doors closed behind them. The seven fell into pace, walking together through the halls. Tiredness had long been put behind them. Adrenaline coursed through their veins like blood.

"To find the Oracle." Jay said, determination solidifying in his voice, almost as audible as his words. "And I know just where to look."


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Another update! I apologise if I'm taking time between updates; real life is a pain, bla bla bla. Anyway, the action is going to pick up (along with the speed of updates!) from the next chapter onwards.

If you've had a look at the episode titles on my profile, head to the fyeahclassofthetitans tumblr, where the team there want some Wild Mass Guessing about plots and what not.

Thank you for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter Four 

Tensions were running high at the dorm in the morning light. Still barely awake, five teens gathered around the dining table, with Athena looking on edgily from the kitchen. With their new weapons laid on the wooden surface, along with a strange device that Odie was still fine-tuning, they were almost ready to begin the search for the Oracle.

If they had a plan.

If they had a way to find him.

Jay had been deep in thought since leaving the school. The others knew it was best to leave him in that state; he'd emerge either with a master plan, or a giant flop, but chances were he'd have a plan that'd work well enough. Jay had a feeling that Odie's gadget – if he could get it to work – would take care of the latter problem.

He also had a nagging suspicion that he already knew where the Oracle might go. From the few, brief encounters they'd had with the ancient psychic, Jay had surmised that the Oracle was a man of habit. He drank his coffee black, and wore the same jacket day in and day out. So it would make sense for him to go to a place he'd been before, or a place he recognised. All Jay had to figure out was which places the Oracle had been.

Athena served up a platter of pancakes as they waited. Only Herry dug into the mountain of food, devouring pancake after pancake in quick succession. Neil, seated beside him, recoiled quickly, remembering why he often chose _not_ to sit next to Herry during mealtimes. Pancake crumbs were _so_ not good for his designer apparel.

Opposite the blonde, Theresa sat with her head in her hands. She could feel a migraine coming on – a sure sign that she'd been using too much energy with her powers. Sighing, she rubbed her temples, wishing that she could crawl upstairs and get a few more hours of sleep. She wondered briefly if she could _influence_ Jay's determination to keep them awake, but thought better of it. Long ago, she'd decided that she would never control her friends with her powers, not even for a joke.

In the living room, Archie and Atlanta had somehow come to an odd stalemate in their bickering, and were whispering quietly on the couch. Atlanta rested her head on Archie's shoulder – she was far too tired to care of the implications – and the warrior's arm was slung around her lazily.

"Atlanta?"

"Yeah?"

"You still awake."

"… No."

He smiled, and tightened his grip around her. With his free hand, he went to brush her hair from her eyes. He wasn't sure why he was – it just felt like something he had to do. Even so, Atlanta batted his hand away, and he awkwardly placed in on her knee. And then he thought the better of it, and placed it on his own knee.

Atlanta chuckled softly. "You don't have to be such a dork, Arch."

He stared at the top of her head incredulously, and very slowly, shifted his hand back on her knee, palm flat. His little finger stroked the outside of her bare knee, barely moving for fear of her anger. Because, damn, that girl would – and could – easily kill him if he made one wrong move.

Atlanta moved her head back to stare up at him, hazel eyes suddenly very round and awake. Her lips were still curved upwards from laughter; she was smiling at him in pure, unadulterated joy like he'd never seen before. And suddenly, though he hadn't slept in Zeus knew how long, he didn't feel that tired anymore.

Archie had often wondered why he was attracted to Atlanta – because, by Zeus, there were an awful lot of reasons why being attracted to her was downright dangerous for one's heath. It wasn't as if she was the first girl (or boy, for that matter) that he'd been attracted to. Archie had very specific tastes in people, which quite frankly limited his choice in friends, and by extension, crushes. Anyone who succeeded in worming their way through his rock hard exterior had a special place in his heart. Few had gotten past the outer walls – and Atlanta was one. There was just something about the furious redhead that made him… him. She completed him, in a way that few people could.

"Hi." He whispered.

"Hey." She breathed.

By now he was noticing her lips; the singular word that escaped from those small lips, and how they could convey such emotion in a simple greeting. His own mouth was surely rough and uncaring in comparison. Where hers was all warmth and laughter, his was snarls and bitterness. There would be no way in Hades that such a pair of mouths could ever fit together.

Yes, he'd thought many times about kissing her. And yes, he would have liked to. But he was afraid of kissing her, too. He'd kissed girls before, but Atlanta wasn't just any girl. She was wild and fearless and beautiful and terrifying and-

… And now sitting up, away from him, taking her lips with her.

"I'm gonna check if Odie's done yet." She announced, looking anywhere but him.

He nodded; he wasn't capable of speech at that point.

Archie allowed himself a minute to get himself together, and then followed Atlanta back to the dining table. Odie was still fiddling with a screwdriver and what seemed like the innards of a toaster, and the rest of them hadn't moved since they'd sat down. Atlanta had taken the seat on Theresa's left, leaving him on the psychic's right.

Staring intently at the brains of the group, Jay looked ready to launch into a plan of attack the second Odie had finished calibrating whatever it was that needed calibrating. And, indeed, Odie's screwdriver had barely hit the table when Jay began to explain his plan.

"We're going after the Oracle," he said, his determination resolute. "And I'll be damned if Cronus finds him before we do. So, we need to act quickly. Odie," he cast a look sideways at the smaller teen, "has just finished a device that will track the _Olympian particles_ that match with the sample from the crater. Once we get a lock on the Oracle, we'll approach with caution, and get him to the school as quickly as we can. If Cronus shows up – which he probably will – our priority is still the Oracle. Any questions?"

Five teenagers shook their heads.

Tentatively, Herry raised a hand.

"What if the Oracle isn't in the city?" he asked groggily. "What if he's on the other side of the world or something?"

Jay look baffled. "Well, I, uh-"

"-He's here." Theresa interjected, closing her eyes in concentration. "I can _feel_ him in New Olympia. I can't tell where, though. Even if I try really hard."

"It's fine." Jay assured her, squeezing her hand gently. "Odie's device will find him. Maybe when we get closer, your powers will be able to find him?"

Theresa nodded, but didn't give voice to the nagging suspicion that, since the events of the beach, her powers had waned – severely. It wouldn't do any good for Jay or the others to worry about her. Once they found the Oracle, she could ask him then. He would know if there was something wrong with her powers.

A week ago, she would have been able to sense a person anywhere within the city if she was concentrating – even if they were deliberately blocking her. When she'd absorbed (stolen, more like, but for the sake of forgiving herself, she tried to avoid thinking of it like that) the power of the gods, she could feel the souls of so many – millions upon millions of people, in every direction! For a brief moment, she had found her father's thoughts, which had brought her back to her senses, just for a small moment.

Now, she was struggling to find an old man who had to be less than twenty miles away. What in Zeus had happened to her?

"I can try." She assured Jay, simultaneously attempting to assure herself.

Jay nodded to himself. "Good." For a moment, he was lost as the six teenagers stared at him from around the table. It occurred to him how quickly (and slowly) time had passed in the two years they'd been together. They were aging, right before him. They no longer sat hunched and small at the table. They sat tall and proud, with weapons in hand and the world at their feet.

"Let's go." He announced, standing. "We've got an Oracle to find."

* * *

The mountain cave was bleak; a sort of desolation that demanded to be experienced. If he hadn't spent a few millennia in Tartarus, Cronus may have felt the solitude. No, he was too knowledgeable in being alone for the misery of the place to penetrate.

Cronus stood by himself at the mouth of the cave, surveying the landscape below. Trees, endless trees, that eventually were swallowed up by the horizon. The mountains extended into the east and west for what seemed to be a ceaseless fault, but he knew that where the mountains stopped in the east, his enemies lay. _New Olympia_, he thought, and his hatred arose.

He was a god; no, he was more than a mere Olympian. He was of an older strain, the titans, who ruled supreme before the dynasty of new gods rose up. He once had palaces and a dominion that spanned the heavens and the earth. Now all he had was a dark mountain cave, and a single, loyal servant left.

"Boss?" Agnon approached carefully; years of servitude taught him as much. He only moved, with his head bent forward to avoid scraping it along the roof of the cave, to his master's side when Cronus waved him over.

"Isn't it woeful?" Cronus mused. "That this is what fate has consigned us? Doesn't it make your blood boil?"

Agnon said nothing, remaining hunched over awkwardly. Cronus took no notice of the giant's silence, and remained quiet too. Below, some three hundred meters to the ground, the trees were swaying in the low breeze. High up as they were, they felt nothing but a faint chill in the air. With a little surprise, Cronus realised that this base – for the cave was no doubt his base now – was the highest he'd been since he'd stood on Mount Olympus.

That had been millennia ago. He couldn't afford to linger on the past, not when he had a much larger problem at hand. Namely, defeating the seven mortals who stood in his way on his path to triumph. That job would be easier now that he had another to serve him. The mortal was barely more than a boy, but he would prove useful; Cronus could feel it. The teen had listened eagerly when Cronus had told him of his plight, and he recognised a similar thirst for revenge in the mortal's eyes. It would be only fair to allow him the opportunity to wreak havoc on his enemies.

"My lord…" the boy came forward from out of the depths of the cave. Standing on Cronus' right, he too looked out over the wilderness, hesitating with his words. "I was wondering…"

Cronus turned to him. "You don't _wonder_ when addressing a god, mortal," he chided, a sudden anger in is words. "Speak confidently or not at all."

The mortal nodded, and bowed deeply before continuing. "Do you have a plan, my lord? Or are we just going to sit in this cave like we're on a nature doco? We should be out there, finding the damn Oracle and killing him properly. Aren't we going to fight, my lord?"

Considering the boy's words, Cronus thought about his actions. In truth, he hadn't given much thought as to how he would proceed. All of his strength had been consumed by the battle at the beach, and reaching the mountains. That had tired him – and he shouldn't be tired, he was Cronus, lord of time, rightful ruler of Olympus and the earth. Fatigue shouldn't have bothered him.

So why did it?

"We wait," he said, the beginnings of a plan forming in his head. "And gather strength. Why waste ourselves when we can send another to do our work?"

The boy stood a little straighter. "You have something that can kill the Oracle?" he asked eagerly. "Like, a person, or a weapon, or a monster…?"

Cronus grinned. "Dear boy, I don't just have a _monster_. I have the mother of all monsters."


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Phew, here's another chapter. I would apologise for the fact that it took longer than expected, but it'll all pay off in the long run as I've now started the next episode ahead of time, and it in turn will have faster updates. Bear with me; I bring results, you just have to wait for them!

Thank you for all the reviews! Also be sure to check out Sleepless Demeanours, which has just been updated for the first time in a while.

Spoilers: some of you have been guessing at what Monster of the Week is featuring in this episode. All I'm saying is... Tinian is correct.

* * *

Chapter Five

They were barely fifteen minutes into the search, and Odie's device had already set all their teeth on edge. The small contraption emitted a shrill beep every few moments, which was well and truly on their nerves by then.

"Beeping is good," Odie assured them again, not taking his eyes off the screen. "Beeping means we're going the right way."

"I'll _beep_ you up if you say that again," Archie grumbled.

Odie decided to keep his mouth shut after that.

Archie fell back into pace with Atlanta. Giving the huntress a light punch on the shoulder, he grinned at her startled face.

"What was that for?" she muttered angrily, rubbing her shoulder.

The warrior shrugged. "It wasn't that hard," he said defensively. "Or are you going soft?"

"You don't have to be such a jerk." Atlanta retorted. "To me or to anyone else." She walked a bit faster to catch up to Herry, who was plodding alongside Odie contently. Archie sneered at their backs, calling all three a colourful assortment of words in his head. He was more than a little bit angry, right then. Probably because he still hadn't slept in Zeus knew how long. And also because as he watched, Herry and Atlanta chatted about something mindless, and the huntress beamed up brightly at the gentle giant.

_Women_, he thought.

_Atlanta_, he actually meant.

A few metres behind, Theresa and Jay walked, hand in hand. Theresa had smiled as she heard Archie's thoughts, and had decided not to tell Jay what was transpiring inside the warrior's mind. She'd talk with him later, once his thoughts were calmer.

"You're quiet," she murmured to Jay, stepping closer to him so that their arms were touching. "Something on your mind?"

The leader turned to look at her for a few moments. As those incredibly deep, chocolate-brown eyes stared into hers, and her heart fluttered so restlessly, Theresa wondered if she ever had this effect on him. Whether he could barely sleep some nights – not because of Cronus or stargazing or training, but because he loved her the way she loved him. And yet… she didn't doubt him, not ever.

"I'm tired," he said eventually, quietly, not looking away to hide the painful honesty in his eyes. "I'm so, so tired of this."

"Aren't we all?"

She said it like it wasn't a question at all – because it wasn't. Jay was tired, she was tired, they all were so, so tired of physical consciousness and destiny. She'd been the first to snap. How long could the others hold up? Surely not for much longer. They both knew that, sooner or later, they'd all fall down off the slippery slope and give into their fatigue.

Ahead, Odie lowered the still beeping device, and pointed to the steps into a building. "He's in there!"

Only then, Jay looked away from her. '_I'm sorry'_, he mouthed, and turned away. Racing over to the small teen, Jay stared at the device, hoping to make sense of the numbers and shapes on the small screen. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Theresa frowned, and concentrated on the top floor. Words and thoughts came to her as her senses traversed through the floors. Auras of reds and blues and pinks dotted the building, until a gold appeared suddenly, almost like a mirage.

_Theresa,_ the aura said simply upon recognising her. _You have found me._

Her head snapped up as she withdrew back into her physical body. "I can sense him!" She cried, staring up to the top of the building. "He's on the top floor!"

Jay reeled back to face her. "What?! You can sense him _now_?!"

"Yes," she said adamantly. "It's like… he's only just switched on his Bluetooth. If that makes any sense?"

Neil laughed a little at that. "Terri, I don't think this guy has even heard of file sharing."

"… I'm going to pretend I'm not impressed that you said that." Odie muttered, hastily shoving his device into his pockets. Neil just grinned at him, flashing a brilliant smile to remind them all that yes, he was the prettiest, and yes he could also have his witty moments.

"So, are we going up to find him or what?" Atlanta asked. Already, adrenaline was pumping through her small body.

Jay nodded. "Yep. This is the plan. I'm going to-"

"-Hang on a sec!"

They all turned to look at Neil. "What is it, Neil?" Jay asked exasperatedly.

"I know this place!" the blonde exclaimed, staring up at the building. "I've been here before. This is where I met you guys and you killed my agent!"

"Our defining moment," Herry chuckled.

They walked up the stairs slowly, approaching the door into the lobby area. Jay, being the first to reach it, pulled on the handle, but the door wouldn't budge. His eyes flickered to the security panel on the door, and gestured toward it.

"Odie?" he said hopefully. "Can you open this?"

Odie brushed past him and studied the panel for a few moments, and made a mental plan of all the tech equipment he had with him. However, closer inspection revealed that it was hopeless.

"Uh… there's a security lock on this door," Odie announced, brows furrowed. "And it's a swipe panel. I can't hack that."

Jay sighed. _Back to square one_, he thought. But then Neil, of all people, smiled.

"I think I can get in!" he exclaimed proudly, pushing past them all to get to the door. "I think I still have it…" he fished around in his wallet for a few moments, and then pulled out a rectangular card triumphantly. "Security access, boo-yah!"

* * *

The ride to the top floor was ominously quiet amongst the seven. Not a word was passed between them as the elevator ascended. They only watched as the screen displaying the level counted up. When it reached _14_, and the doors slid open, they filed out quickly and on guard.

"Keep an eye out for danger," Jay muttered, as if they weren't doing that already.

The small anteroom that the elevator access was in had only one other door. Atlanta, being the closest, turned the door handle hopefully, but it was locked. Noticing a panel for a swipe card to the left of the handle, she beckoned Neil over. The blonde swiped his card, but a light flashed red.

"What now?" she hissed, looking over at Jay.

The leader looked positively stumped, until Herry _gently_ brushed him out of the way. Realising his intentions, Atlanta and Neil quickly scurried away from in front of the door as the brawn picked up speed and lowered his shoulder.

Herry charged the door… and kept going. Stumbling into the next room, leaving a Herry-sized hole in the door, he found himself barrelling into an adjacent wall that knocked the breath out of him. When he looked up, the others were climbing through the door. Odie was already helping him to his feet, grinning ear to ear.

"Remind me not to lock my bedroom door when you wanna get in, yeah?" he said, pulling Herry to his feet. "That was one mean helluva door."

"Yeah?" Herry rubbed his shoulder, already certain he would have bruising. "I thought, ya know, the whole thing would come down."

"That means it's _seriously_ solid." Odie noted. "But not built to withstand you!"

"So what was it built to withstand?" Jay wondered aloud, eyeing the door. He drew his sword from out of his pocket, and the retractable blade slid out and clicked into place. "Be on your guard."

Jay lead them through the short hallway and into the main room. The penthouse apartment was well-lit, allowing sunlight to stream through the glass ceiling and walls. Memories flooded back to them as they walked in; the place had barely changed since they had been here two years previously. All the furniture had been removed, though, leaving the place oddly vacant. Outside, the pool had been covered – Neil whimpered quietly when he remembered how easily Cronus had got him with the Narcissus trick in that very pool.

But, what caught their attention was the man standing in the middle of the empty room.

"Oracle!" Theresa cried, rushing past her friends to hug the old man. "You're okay?!"

The Oracle nodded, embracing her quickly. "I am fine. Thank you for coming." He clasped his hands together – they saw the red, blistering burns across his knuckles as he did so – and studied them each in turn. "Much has changed since we last spoke," he mused dryly.

Jay stepped forward. "Things with you have changed, too. Last time I checked, Cronus wasn't hell-bent on killing you."

Sighing, the Oracle shook his head. "I don't think he wants me dead. He just wants me out of the way. If my prophecy has come to a close, then it would be fitting for him to dispose of me before I prophesise a new threat to him. But dead would be a good way to keep me from making prophecies. So no. He wants me dead, all right."

"Wait, so, the prophecy has ended?" Archie interrupted, folding his arms across his chest. "Is it over now or what?"

"Well, I-"

"_GUUUUUUUUUUUYS_!"

Neil raised a shaking finger toward the pool. While all their attention had been on the Oracle, the pool covering had been ripped off – angrily. Thick, ragged claw marks had slashed the material, leaving rags at the edge of the water.

"WHAT DO WE DO?!" he screeched, clutching the arm of the nearest person to him. Atlanta, noting that the blood circulation to her left arm had been cut off, scowled and drew her laser crossbow and latched it to her wrist in one swift movement.

"Get your weapon out, Neil."

Forgetting his fear for a moment, Neil raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Well, if you insist…"

"What?" she said, scanning the room. "Oh. God. _No_. Neil. Not that… your gun… get your _stun_ gun."

Neil winked and grabbed his new weapon from the waistband of his pants. Atlanta eyed the gun for a few seconds, cursing Heph and Ares to the deepest corners of Hades for giving it to Neil in the first place, and turned her attention to Jay.

"We should get outta here, Jay," she said quickly. "It's not exactly a good place for a fight with one of Cronus' monsters."

"Especially one with claws." Herry added, for good measure.

Jay nodded. "Right. Everyone, form a tight circle around the Oracle. We're heading back to the elevator. _Go_."

Except, they weren't.

Because, standing in front of the door that Herry had crashed through, a terrifyingly huge, scaled monster lay waiting, claws outstretched.


End file.
